PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Jesuit and University of Washington alum Jaxson Kirkland declared for the NFL Draft in 2022.
Yet, he could hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday.
“It definitely made me the man I am today, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” the offensive lineman said of the last year and change. “It’s all a part of Jaxson Kirkland’s story.”
In January of 2022, Kirkland was on his way to his pro football dreams.
He then found out that what he thought was a high ankle sprain would require surgery.
On February 1st, he decided to withdraw his name from draft.
He then waited three months to find out if the NCAA would let him go back and play one last season with the Huskies.
“It was just the longest time of waiting and wondering if I was ever going to play again,” said Kirkland. “There were moments where I thought I was going to have to do other routes because college football just wasn’t going to be an option.”
Ultimately, the NCAA said yes.
What resulted was a season Jaxson couldn’t have possibly imagined after a 2021 campaign that did not meet his expectations and resulted in a head coaching change.
“It just left kind of a sour taste in my mouth, and I didn’t feel accomplished, and I knew we had more. That was motivating getting back, but to go from 4-8 to 11-2, that was a crazy turnaround and something that I’ll cherish forever,” said Kirkland.
Personally, it was a great year for Jaxson as well as he was named first-team All-Pac-12 for the third season in a row, and for the first time in his career garnered several All-America honors.
He’s ready now though to achieve his greatest accolade yet: Getting drafted.
“I think I might burst out into tears, immediately, honestly. When you want something so bad and you’ve been working so hard, it’s been literally a dream of yours all your life– I have it written on my board in my room, I’ve had that since I think middle school, that I can remember– To just finally have that come true, and you’re living your dream, that’s why tears would come out immediately for sure,” said Kirkland.
Once players get into the later rounds of the draft, it can get a bit tricky pinpointing where they could end up.
Some draft websites have Kirkland as high as a fifth-round pick. Some don’t have him getting drafted at all.
Jaxson already has a winning mentality though, no matter the result of Saturday.
“Regardless of what happens, my worst day or anything, there’s people who’d kill to be in this position. I’ve just got to be thankful for everything that comes with it,” said Kirkland.